Health Electronics

The boom in healthcare products comes as no surprise, with more people than ever realising the importance of maintaining their health. Neither does the fact that Hong Kong manufacturers are playing a pivotal role in this burgeoning field, and are utilising their extensive electronics experience to develop innovative healthcare items for people of all ages.

Among them is Chartrick Industries Ltd, which is capitalising on everyone's obsession with weight with an extensive range of LCD digital scales. "We have about 20 models and offer basic scales at competitive prices," says marketing director Gilbert Tsui.

He notes that sleek European-style designs with tempered glass tops and stainless steel or aluminium bases are strong sellers in Germany, the UK and Italy.

"We're going to introduce a set of wooden scales made of oak for the Japanese market because people appreciate the look and feel of wood," Tsui reveals, adding that, if it proves as successful as Chartrick expects, it will also be sold in Scandinavian countries where wood is equally popular.

The company also plans to expand into babies' scales and models that measure body fat, while a set of scales with an LCD readout separate from the base unit is under development. "It works by infrared beam," Tsui explains.

Established in 1991, the OEM/ODM company produces about 200,000 sets of scales per month at its 21,000-square-metre, ISO 9001-certified factory in Shunde on the Chinese mainland.

Chartrick, which has its own Tacmix brand, delivers minimum orders of 3,000 units 45 days after order confirmation at FOB Hong Kong unit prices of US$5-6 per item.

Leona Electronics Co Ltd's pocket-sized medical calculators, nutrition/calorie organisers and medication reminders are an equally great way to take charge of health and weight.

The company's new Nutrition/Calorie Counter, which costs US$14 FOB Hong Kong, displays the calorie count and nutritional content of 1,000 foods and advises users how many calories should be consumed per day to lose or gain weight at a safe rate.

An easy-to-use Pill Reminder that either beeps or flashes an LED to remind people when it's time to take their medication has timer settings for up to seven pills and sells for US$1.60 per unit. "The flashing LED is for people with hearing disabilities," explains CEO Leo Ho.

Medical calculators that cost approximately US$6 per piece and can determine risk levels for conditions ranging from heart disease to diabetes and breast cancer are aimed primarily at professional healthcare workers. "These are not gadgets - they're functional products based on medical formulas," Ho emphasises, explaining that each device features a CPU, a memory chip and special programming.

The 20-year-old company has its own Pharma-Cal brand and manufactures at an ISO 9000-certified factory in Shenzhen on the mainland that covers 4,000 square metres and employs 350 workers.

Leona requires a minimum order of 2,000 pieces, delivered 50 days after order confirmation to major markets such as the US, Europe, Japan and Australia.

The niche for the thermometers and pedometers produced by Cotronic Technology Ltd is a combination of quality and low price, according to marketing executive Vanessa Lau. "We make more than 10 kinds of basic thermometers," she says, including digital clinical thermometers, infrared radiation ear thermometers and digital pacifier thermometers for babies.

Priced at US$1-2 per piece FOB Hong Kong, they feature LCDs and centigrade temperature read-outs. "As an option, we can also offer Fahrenheit measurement," Lau adds, noting that Cotronic's best-selling model is the TM01 clinical thermometer, which is waterproof and CE- and FDA-approved.

Cotronic's series of pedometers includes a US$1 step-counting model, a US$1.50 version that counts steps and calories and a US$1.60 unit that features a stopwatch and a 24-hour clock. "The step-counting model is our best seller because it's easy to use," Lau notes.

The 10-year-old OEM/ODM firm, which is ISO 14001-, ISO 9001- and EN46001-certified, exports to major markets such as the US and Europe.

Cotronic produces 300,000 pieces per month at its mainland factory in Guangdong Province and requires a minimum order of 5,000 pieces delivered 4-6 weeks after order confirmation.

One of Y & J's most popular products is the Slimming Egglike Massager, which has four pads that are applied to the skin and vibrate to reduce fat and costs US$3 per unit FOB Shenzhen.

The eight-year-old firm has recently begun manufacturing a Skin Analyser that checks the condition of a user's skin and is available for US$3 a unit.

"Women can use it on their skin every day," sales and marketing director Joe Ling explains. "If it's too dry or oily, they can use cosmetics to correct the problem."

Another fashionable item is the BMI 2-in-1 pedometer with fat analyser that is worn at the waist, displays the step count, distance covered, calorie count and body fat percentage and costs US$2. "Minimum order is 5,000 pieces, with shipments sent 20-25 days after order confirmation," Ling adds.

Ultimately, healthcare is everyone's business and Hong Kong manufacturers are obviously taking that philosophy to heart with a wide range of original items.

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